balsaeater

Just got back from the LHS after getting fuel tubing which now I am fairly certian I wont need .
The LHS figures The new fuel triggered the problems and changing the fuel back to the original Zero nitro fuel for awhile longer until the engine is more run in will solve my problems .

The oil ratio at ~15% ( oil is very expensive in Europe as it is the ESTER family not avasilable in the USA and run in engines of many makes will often drop to ~10% oil in Europe to make running costs lower ) and the 10% nitro adding extra power has probably triggered a soft seize situation

cures are decreasing size of prop or decreasing nitro or bumping up the oil to sort out the issue

This soft seize syndrom the LHS has encountered is more often seen with other makes of pattern engines such as YS when going below 20% lube until at least 4 gallons UK gallons (5 USA gallons )has gone through the motor

It fits with my short run of a few minutes at home with the 20% oil no nitro fuel no showed no signs of issues
Stupid me I then changed the fuel to ~15% oil ~10% figuring that the engine should be run in eneogh to cope with lower oil as the flying is mostly 1/3 gas with a few seconds of full gas just for punch out
The soft seize would happen faster on full gas and take longer on mid gas so it fits the logic given from LHS

I should have done tests at home before changing things and then I would have spotted a issue changed back to old fuel and probably seen no issues and have gone of flying with no problems

Live and learn

When the engine has done 4 gallons I will look to fiddle with the slow jet with some expert help as I am not mechanically great for tuning abilities so as to improve fuel consumption but on 1/3 gas at say 1 onz a minute is economically OK as the plane is a light weight ~4kg (~10lbs ) 54 inch Graupner 22% Ultimate meant for a more modest ~120 so on a Saito 180 is grossly overpowered and makes jaw dropping punch outs and can fly on 1/6 gas or less

Boy was I glad today on two counts that I bought the Saito 180 new from the LHS

A guy who I knew in a nearby club wandered into the LHS where i was buying bits and bobs and told me the so called never used new in the box Saito he was selling last year for bit less than the LHS price had actually done two flights and crashed on the second flight from 400 feet

He was pleased to inform me he had sold it off in the end to some hapless guy in the UK

So being suspicious of the club advert I ignored this lower price engine and bought new instead from the LHS and was able to get support

Today the LHS support has probably saved me a lot of leg work to sort out the sagging problem

So for now I will go for the old fuel formula zero nitro for another gallon and then for another few gallons use Becral 20% nitro /20% synth oil /no castor before trying out the lowwer oil combos

balsaeater